Apparatus for playing chords on stringed instruments



Nov. 12, 1929. TAUBERT 1,735,145

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING CHORDS ON STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Filed April 7, 19286 Fig.1

Patented Nov. 12, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ERNST TAUBERT, FLEIPZIG-GOHLIS, GERMANY Application filed April 7, 1928, Serial No.

In apparatus for playing chords on stringed instruments it is known touse string pressers mounted on levers and to press said levers down byaid of rods arranged along 6 the strings, which rods are driven by keylevers provided with engaging blades.

The invention consists therein, that 1011- gitudinally movable rods bydownwardly directed projections immediately engage on 1 string pressers,which may be held by levers or the like. In this construction thesmallest possible number of parts is necessitated, all parts are incontinuous contact with each other so as to avoid dead movement andnoise, and the immediate engagement be tween the projections and stringpressers warrants precise functioning.

Further details of the invention will ap pear later.

In the drawing, the invention is shown in an embodiment.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section,

Fig. 2 is an upper View,

Figs. 3 and 4: are enlarged partial longitudinal sections of a stringpresser drive in rest ing and use positions respectively,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section of several string pressers.

A frame or casing 1 is provided with four feet 2 for being applied tothe neck of a guitar or similar musical instrument, to which it isfastened by strong rubber bands 3. A cover 4: envelops said frame 1 andis provided with slots 5 for the passage of key levers 6, which in theshown sample are arranged in four rows with six levers each, the leversof the first row a appertaining i. to the major tonic chords, the loversof the second row 6 to the major dominant-seventh chords, and

4 the levers of the rows 0 and (Z to the corresponding minor tonic anddominantseventh chords.

The key levers 6 are fastened to shafts 7 and blades 8, which serve forlongitudinally displacing rods 9 guided in comb like guides 10 on saidframe 1. Four rods 9 are arranged above each string closely at the sideof each other for playing four tones and each of them is fixed on thespot corresponding to the tone to be played with a downwardly directed268,288, and in Germany April 11, 1927.

projection 11. Moreover each rod has upwardly directed projections 12 onall such spots, where the blades 8 of those chords are positioned, forwhich the respective tone is necessary.

In the lower part of the frame 1 on pins 13 supporting levers 14; withattached string pressers 15 are arranged. Each string presser consistsof a glass roller fastened between a pair of said supporting levers 14,which with inward bent edge parts 16 of perforations extend into centralbores of said rollers 15, and astrongly fittingpressure pin 17 connectsthe parts so as to form a rigid unit, which also by a lateral engagementon a string resists tilting. Springs 18 are extended between each stringpresser unit 14, 15 and the appertaining rod 9 in such Way, that theappertaining projection 11 and the string presser 15 are drawn into aresting position, in which the rod 9 abuts against an abutment 19 andthe string presser 15 rests against the projection 11 of the rod 9. Theprojections 11 are obliquely out on their edges touching the stringpressers, so that on a displacement of the rod the said edges engage onthe string pressers in the manner of a wedge. Moreover the supportingpins 13 are positioned on a somewhat higher level than the touchingpoints between the projections 11 and the string pressers 15. Bothfeatures warrant a sure depression of the string pressers by alongitudinal displacement of the respective rods 9.

The key levers 6 are bent to such oblique shapes, that in connectionwith the oblique arrangement of the key lever cross rows on the cover ofthe apparatus each key lever can easily be pressed down by a finger.Further hereby each key lever in a deepest position abuts on the coverof the apparatus, so that any disengagement of the inner parts isobviated, and excessive strains in said parts are avoided by theelasticity of said key levers.

On the touching parts of the key levers and the cover, pads 20 ofleather or felt are attached by glueing, and similar pads may also bearranged on the abutment 19 of the rods 9, so that by the elasticity ofsaid liners not only noises are prevented but also the key blades 8remain always in contact on the upper projections 12 of the rods 9 andprevent dead movement and resulting noise also on these points.

The operation is the following. The apparatus is mounted; on theinstrument, as shown in the drawing, in such way, that each stringpresser 15 is situated closely above a point to be pressed of a string.As soon as a key lever 6 is pressed, the respective blade 8 displacesall rods 9 which by projections 12 are in contact on it, and each rodpresses the appertaining string presser 15 downward onto the string. Theinitial and final positions of this operation are explicitly shown inFigsi 3' and 4.

"The roller shape of the string pressers due to -its symmetryin alldirections warrants utmost exactness of manufacture with simple' means.At' once hereby theuse of glass and similar extremely hard and smooth materials is made possible, which on the projections 11 cause no undue'tricti on and wear.

A detail, which is essential for composing the apparatus, consists inproviding'notches 21in the rods 9 on available spots of their loweredges, the notchin each rod being situated-on a point somewhat distantfrom the corresponding notch point of the'other rods, f. i. in such Waythat in. the rightorder of the rods the notches form an oblique lineacross the whole apparatus. In this way t'hejr'ods in tlie apparatus'canbe assembled niecha'nicallywithout theaid of serial numbers or spe'cialsigns.

I claim:

"1. "An "apparatus for playing chords on stringed instruments,comprising in'combination" key levers, longitudinal rods adapted to belongitudinally displaced by said key levers, downwardly directedprojections with oblique edges on said rods, and string pressers' inimmediate engagement on said oblique edges so as to beable to be presseddownward by'them in the manner of a wedge.

2. An apparatus for playing chords on stringed instruments, comprisingin combination .key levers, longitudinal rods adapted tobelongitudinally displaced by said key levers, downwardly directedprojections on said rodsysupporting' levers below said rods, andstring'pres'sers fastened to said supporting levers so as'to be inimmediate engagement on said projections, the pivots of said leversbeing situated on a higher level than the points of said engagement, sothat said string pressers are pressed downward by longitudinaldisplacement ofsaid' rods and projections.

*3. An apparatus for playing chords on stringed instruments, comprisingin combination key levers, longitudinal rods adapted to belongitudinallydisplaced by said key levers, downwardly directed projections on saidrods, and roller shaped string pressers in immediate engagement on saidprojections so as to be able to be pressed downward by them.

4. An apparatus for playing chords on stringed instruments, comprisingin combination key levers, longitudinal rods adapted to belongitudinally displaced by said key levers, downwardly directedprojections on said rods, and string pressers made of a hard andsmootlrmaterial, such as glass, and arranged in immediate engagement onsaid projections so as to be able to be pressed downward by them.

5. An apparatus for playing chords on stringed instruments, comprisingin combination. keylevers, longitudinal rods adapted to belongitudinally displaccdby said key levers, downwardly directedprojectionsonsaid rods,'pairs' of supporting levers below said rods, an"essentially roller shaped string presscr interposed between the leversof each of saidpairs-and*providcd with a :central bore, edge parts ofperforations of said levers extending) into said bore, and a pressurepin inserted into said edge parts and boreso as to join said levers and'string presser to a rigid unit.

6. An apparatus for playing chords on stringed instruments, comprisingin combination key :levers, -longitudinal rods adapted to belongitudinally displaced-by saidkey levers, downwardly directedprojections on said rods, string pressers in immediate engagementon-saidprojectionsso as to beable to be pressed downward by them,and-signs provided in the edges of said rods, in each on a differentpoint, soas tov show the right order ofsaid rods.

In witness whereofl afiix any signature.

ERNST TAUBERT.

